


In your head In your head Zombie, zombie, zombie, ei, ei

by Lauren_is_a_moron



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 21:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15033890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauren_is_a_moron/pseuds/Lauren_is_a_moron
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Betty Cooper loves her life. She loves her friends, her boyfriend, and every day is like a breath of fresh air.  She doesn't question why every day is a school day, even at the weekend, or why she and a group of her classmates live at Riverdale High.  Betty doesn't think about the bad things. Like why Veronica always cries, why the girl is always drinking. Why Archie is always carrying around a shovel. There are little clues nagging at her; Why can't she let Reggie out of the teacher's lounge?Or: Betty is delusional and prefers to peer through rose-tinted glasses, blissfully ignorant of the world crumbling around her.





	In your head In your head Zombie, zombie, zombie, ei, ei

**Author's Note:**

> im sorry for this lmao. I had to write it.

So, she was late to class again. But really, that didn't matter. Teachers weren't really strict these days. Betty Cooper was exactly three and a half minutes late for class, according to her watch. But that wasn't the thing on her mind right now. Even if she was the perfect student. Betty currently had the highest GPA on record and was destined for one of the top colleges. Surely Miss Grundy could wait a little longer.

Betty stood with her arms folded, her head cocked. She had tied her hair in its usual ponytail, wrapped up in a red ribbon. It was how her mom liked it. Betty begged to differ, however. She thought it looked childish. She looked at least twelve years old, and it her baby face and small complexion really didn't help. Yet for some reason, she always seemed to find her fingers already moving on their own, the second she woke up, dragging the same filthy ribbon from her jacket pocket and tying up her long blonde hair. These days, Betty was always wearing the same clothes. Ever since she had moved into the school since there had been a gas leak at home. When was that? She couldn't quite remember, and her mom hadn't been in touch in a while. But she had been assured that her mother was fine, and Polly. They were both totally fine, and they loved her very much.

She wasn't the only one who had been affected by the gas leak, however. Most of the kids in her school lived at Riverdale High. It was like a sleepover, but every night. 

That morning, Betty wore one of her Red sweaters which she sure wasn't Red before and her favourite jeans; skinny denim with rips in the knees. She had been on her way to class, stumbling over herself as she forced herself awake. She had been up all night again, tossing and turning in the little camper bed she shared with Veronica. Being deprived of her sleep was showing in her pale face and squinting eyes. She was sure her sweater was on backwards, her jeans stained down the fronts. But she was too tired to care. The corridors were quiet, with everyone already in class. Betty listened to her breaths as she slowly made her way down the hallway, conscious of her converse slapping the linoleum. She felt a breeze graze against her face, toying with the ribbon in her hair.

The window was open again. Archie had told her the stupid thing was broken when she asked him about it. It always seemed to be open- always seemed to be sending shivers down her spine when she walked past it. But Betty never attempted to close it. She always noticed it for the fraction of a second, before turning a blind eye to it and walking away.

When Betty rounded the corner, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a loud bang, followed by another one, and another one. The rhythmic banging was all too familiar, and Betty resisted a laugh. Even when the sounds of his fists slamming into the wood made her jump. She chewed her lip, her blue eyes widening slightly, lips settling into a smile. There were ancient Blue and Gold newsletters still tacked to the door. The printing was fading, the pages curling at the corners. Hadn't she told Jughead ages ago to get rid of them? Betty rolled her eyes and sighed, before ripping off the posters.

"Betty!" Reggie's voice made her jump again. He was battering the door, really going for it. Betty planted her hands on her hips. "I'm not letting you out Reggie!" she chuckled, and the boy let out an irritated yell. "Dude, this isn't fair! I have rights!"

The door rattled again, and Betty backed away slowly. Reggie didn't mean to scare her, she was sure of it. He was just- incredibly strong. It was always the same. Every morning before class, Reggie was locked in the teacher's lounge. She wasn't sure why. He must have done something pretty bad. He always called out to her, never to any of the others.

Last week she had gotten so annoyed with him banging away on the door like that, she'd finally decided to let him out. Even if Veronica had made her promise not to. Veronica Lodge was her best friend, the queen of Riverdale High. Betty was envious of the girl's sleek dark hair. Well, she had been. Until Veronica had cut it all off with a blunt pair of scissors. Which was weird, because the girl almost always had her hair done professionally. When Betty had asked, Veronica had simply smiled sadly. "I needed change." she had murmured. She wore her hair in pigtails these days, and barely ever brushed it. Maybe she was having a mental breakdown. Betty had made a mental note to talk to her at some point, but Veronica was always in class, arguing with Archie about things Betty didn't like to think about or passed out in bed with an empty bottle of the red stuff clutched to her chest. It was funny; Betty never thought to ask about the girl's obvious drinking problem. If Betty was honest, Veronica was...nicer when she was fresh.

When Veronica Lodge wasn't drinking, she was sleeping or crying. She always cried. It was hard to watch, hard to listen to. The girl kneeling on the floor screaming into a pillow, before her throat got raw, her anger turning to tears; heavy throaty sobs into her knees and Betty never knew what to do. What to say. But when Ronnie had a drink, she was fun! she danced with Archie, dragging him from his bed and twirling him around, pulling him to her chest. But, oh. Then she would start crying again, this time into his chest.

It was super awkward.

And when it came to Reggie? Veronica and Archie lost their shit.

The girl's voice still rang in her head; loud and insistent. Betty remembered how hard Veronica Lodge had squeezed her arm, her fingernails stabbing into her arm, and it had really hurt. But she hadn't cried out. Because the look in Veronica's eyes had scared her. The girl really didn't want to let Reggie out. "Betty," The girl had spoken softly. There was a whimper in her tone what she was desperately trying to hide. Betty could smell the stale stink of alcohol on her breath, and it made her stomach turn.

"You have to promise me, okay? Never let Reggie out. Do you understand me?" The girl looked so fierce, so terrifying, Betty had nodded slowly and swallowed her questions burning in her throat. "Why?" she wanted to yell back, wanted to yank her arm away. "Why the hell are you and Archie so obsessed with locking Reggie in the teacher's lounge?"

Presently, Reggie was hammering on the door again. "Betty, you're still there right?" **BANG.** Betty jumped backwards, stumbling over her feet. "Fucking let me out!"

Betty shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. For some reason her chest was aching, her stomach vaulting into her throat. Tears were burning her eyes, but she didn't know why! This always happened. When she was standing here, talking to Reggie. She always found her fingers stroking the back of her neck. It stung and she retracted her hand automatically.

For a moment, Betty stared at the door, narrowing her eyes. There were handprints decorating the scraps of paper still stuck to the wood. The prints were scarlet, smeared and old. She frowned. Had someone stuck their hands in red paint?

Before she could stop herself, she was inching closer to the door, pressing her own palm against the prints etched into the mahogany. She stiffened, her eyelids flickering. Her neck burned. _It burned!_ There were screams suddenly rattling in her ears, they were so loud! Echoing, like ghosts, battering at her skull. Just like Reggie attacking the door.

"Betty!"

 **BANG. BANG. BANG.** Three bangs. The same noises that haunted her. She had tried to suppress them, but they were still there- always there. The voice wasn't Reggie's however. Tears ran down her cheeks, her throat choking up. But the voice only grew louder, like it had that night as he screamed louder and louder and louder until-

Betty cried out, staggering back into something warm. Something moving. Before she could make a break for it, they were gently wrapping their arms around her waist.

"Betty? Hey, it's me!"

Archie's soothing voice snapped her out of it, gently coaxing Betty from her reverie. She blinked rapidly to find herself slumped in the boy's arms, and quickly straightened up, swiping at her eyes. When she looked up at him, it was like her perception flickered for a second. The squeaky-clean corridor they were standing on, made way for broken lights, filthy walls and splintered windows; bloody handprints decorating every surface.

It wasn't just her vision. Reggie's cries became more and more unintelligible, echoing in her mind, until it got lower in pitch, collapsing into an animalistic growl as he continued beating down the door. _He won't get out_. Betty felt sick. She felt phantom hands tighten around her neck, fingernails digging into her flesh. She heard her own pained cry.

Betty felt her breath catch in her throat. She blinked again, shaking her head. No, no, no! She felt Archie's hands grab for her again, but she batted them away with her fists.

"This isn't.. this isn't real.." she whimpered to herself. Reggie hammered at the door, screeching and howling. **BANG. BANG. BANG**. Betty started to sob, shake uncontrollably. Archie's voice was distant. She felt him grab her gently, holding her to his chest. She felt his fingers trailing through her dirty hair, playing with her ribbon. She used to dream of this, of his touch. But- she got someone else. And Archie was happy with Veronica.

_She had someone else...right? Yes! She had someone else._

"Betty, come back to me- come on," Archie murmured into her hair. There were hitches in his voice. He was crying. Just like Veronica, Archie cried a lot too. She always caught him curled up with Ronnie, clutching something to his chest that Betty used to snuggle into at night. Except it had rested on ratty chocolate curls and smelled of grease and old library books. Archie always puts on a brave face because of this gas leak, but she knew he was breaking apart inside. Which- which was ridiculous because it was just a gas leak. Betty didn't understand why they cried so much! It was- yes. _It was a gas leak._

"Betty, you know what you need to do," Archie said softly. "Just close your eyes and imagine something better, okay?"

Betty focused on his voice, his words. She pushed all the bad stuff away, all the bad thoughts. She imagined a blue sky, a shining sun. She imagined Veronica smiling, and Archie with that dumb goofy look on his face. She imagined- she imagined _him._

The banging stopped. Just like that. And Reggie's voice came back almost instantly. The animal was gone. The boy's voice was a loud moan; "Alright, fine! You want it your way? I'll stay here!"

When Betty lifted her head slowly, looking past Archie's tear-stained cheeks, she found herself staring at the sun blazing in the sky, rays hitting her in the face. She lost her breath a little. It was a beautiful day. The sun shined brightly against the windows. When she squinted, she saw crowds of kids in PE, on track or playing football. They all seemed to move as one, like a swarm. She figured they were all out and enjoying the sun.

Betty turned away from the window, smiling brightly, her eyes lit up. This time she was staring at what had been there before - everything was back to normal. There were prom posters on the walls, the new Blue and God newsletter was out, which was quick! Archie Andrews stood in front of her. There was a funny look on his face. One that she had seen on Veronica's countless times. It was funny, Betty was good at reading expressions. But she couldn't read his. Archie's brown eyes were wide, his bottom lip trembling. But once he caught her eye, his lips were stretched into a wide smile that glinted in his eyes. Because she wanted it to. Betty barely saw the boy smile anymore. It broke her heart. He always faked his smiles for her.

Archie was one of the most popular guys at school, and yet he too had let himself go. The boy wore his letterman jacket, streaked with stains, torn at the shoulders, over a white shirt and jeans. His red hair was a curly mess, hanging in his eyes. He was pale. Archie was always pale, his cheeks becoming gaunt, his eyes hollow. Betty raised her eyebrows at what the boy was holding, clutching so hard his knuckles were turning white.

"What are you doing with that?" It was easy to pretend she was okay again. Betty had become a master at hiding her feelings. She cleared her throat, pointing at the shovel in Archie's hands. Archie didn't seem to be looking at her. He was instead staring at the teacher's lounge. He was trembling.  When Betty cleared her throat, he jolted like he'd been electrocuted.

"Hm?" Archie quickly swiped his eyes with the sleeve of his letterman jacket.

Betty pointed to the shovel. "Are you going digging?"

Archie's eyes darkened, his lips pressing together. "Digging?" He choked it out like a laugh and seeing Betty's confused frown, he managed to pull himself together.

"Uh, yeah," he smiled softly. "Yeah, Betty. I'm going digging."

"'Who's going digging?" The new voice startled the two of them, Archie nearly dropping the shovel. Veronica Lodge appeared barefoot still in the long white shirt she wore as a nightdress. The girl was stumbling, falling over herself. Her hair was hanging in her face, and there were telltale signs that she had been crying again. Archie groaned. "Really, Ron?" he gestured to the half empty bottle of whisky in her hand. "It's nine 'O clock in the fucking morning!"

"Sue me." Veronica rolled her eyes. She pointed to the shovel in the boy's hand. "Who are you gonna brain today, Archiekins?" she spoke in her usual sweet, sultry tone. But it was far too sing-song. Far too positive for 9 AM Veronica Lodge. "Reggie, Midge, or-"

"Ronnie, go back to bed and sleep it off," Archie said quickly. "You're shitfaced."

Veronica cackled. "No shit, Sherlock," she muttered. "Seriously, who are you gonna send to oblivion today, hm?" she inched closer to him, her bare heels sticking to the lino.

The boy grimaced. "Veronica, I told you.." he mumbled, lowering his voice. "They're not human."

Veronica pulled a face.

"Tell me, Archie," she said softly, and the boy backed away, his lips twisted. "Who's brains are you going to smash in with your trusty shovel, huh?"

Betty stared at the girl. "What?" she whimpered.

Veronica ignored her. "Tell me!" she yelled. Her voice ricocheted around Betty's skull, and Betty wrapped her arms around herself. She took a few steps back, flinching when the door to the teacher's lounge rattled once again. Veronica laughed. "Oh look, Reggie's begging for it," she hissed. "So why don't you brain him like you fucking brained-"

Archie didn't yell back. He didn't scream at her. He simply grabbed her, like he had done with Betty, and pulled the girl to his chest. Veronica struggled at first, letting out a scream and battering her fists against his chest, almost in sync with Reggie. But eventually her hits became clumsy, and instead, her arms went to wrap around Archie's neck, burying her face in his chest. "Fuck you!" she was screaming over and over again, until she was sobbing, mumbling incoherently, her feet sliding on the floor.

Betty backed away from them. They needed alone time, and she needed to get to class. With a last parting smile at Archie, she turned away from them and trudged to her second class. Since after all that, she had missed Miss Grundy's lecture on Ancient Greece. Her second class was English. Her favourite. As she walked, the sound of Veronica's sobbing and Archie's murmuring faded away, replaced by the bell ringing loudly in her ears, just how she liked it. Suddenly the hallways were lit up and classroom doors bursting open, kids pouring out in their friendship groups chattering loudly. Betty pushed her way through them, finding her English classroom on the third floor. She hurried in, already greeted by her class. Betty found her seat, sitting down and pulling out her books.

"Settle down!" The teacher, Miss Conway, was writing on the whiteboard. Though it was strange; Miss Conway always erased her notes before Betty could copy them.

"Hey!" a familiar voice shot through her mind, and for some reason, shivers ran down her spine, goosebumps prickling across the back of her neck. Kevin Keller was in his usual seat next to Betty's. He turned to her smiling brightly, his eyes lit up. He was always wearing the same clothes. Kevin ran a hand through his hair, eyeing her quizzically. "So how did it go last night?"

Betty frowned at the boy. "Last night?" The classroom chatter seemed to quieten down, and it almost felt like she and Kevin were alone in an empty classroom. Betty leaned back in her chair. "What happened last night?"

"Wait, are you joking around?" Kevin's voice started to reverberate around the room, and a sick feeling started to grow in her gut. "The date!" he laughed. "With Jughead?"

Betty's heart started to hammer. "Jughead?" she whimpered. Kevin nodded, rolling his eyes. "Betty, have you hit your head?" His laughing. Betty stiffened. She'd hurt it all before. This conversation. It had already happened. Kevin's voice in her head was getting louder, almost as if he was yelling into her skull; "The date, Betty! How did it go?"

"It went very well, thank you." Betty spun around in her chair, her breath being dragged from her lungs. Kevin clapped his hands excitedly, but it looked like he was grabbing for her, clawing at her. Betty jumped up. Jughead was standing in front of her, and he was smiling. The smile she had fallen in love with. His eyes were shining with amusement.

Betty's eyes stung. He was still wearing his beanie. The one- the one she had slept with until she couldn't- until her mind had broke- until Archie promised to look after it.

Jughead cocked his head, that loose strand of hair falling in his eyes. "Betty?" he murmured. "You enjoyed the date, right?"

Kevin nodded. He'd jumped up and was slowly making his way over, stumbling like he was drunk. Jughead was perfectly still.

"Did you guys do it?" Kevin's voice sounded in her mind, but the boy's lips weren't moving. Betty forced herself not to blink. Because when she did, she saw- she saw bad things. But it was impossible not to. She ached to hold Jughead one last time, to feel his lips against hers, breathe his scent. Except...no. Betty squeezed her eyes shut, and she could feel tears once again streaming down her face. She remembered the day; it was such a pretty, sunny day. Kevin had badgered her for details on the date with Jughead, and Jughead had said-

"Do you maybe want to do something this weekend?" He'd looked so nervous, hiding under his beanie. "I mean if you want to? I really enjoyed last night, Betty." Though now he was staring at her with such an intensity, a hunger in his eyes.

"No," she sobbed. "No, you're not real!" That's what she wanted to scream. But the words were stuck in her throat. She hadn't heard him in so long.

Hadn't Archie and Veronica always told her not to go to English anymore?

_Was this why?_

_"I did too!"_ \- Her own voice in the memory hit her. And it brought back the feelings of that morning. Hope. Excitement. Love. She had been on one date with him, and he was the one.

"I did too." Betty kept her eyes shut as she repeated her own words, albeit shakily.

 _"A match made in heaven!"_ \- Kevin's voice, gleeful. Betty couldn't help smile through the damn tears.

"Betty!" Archie's voice shocked her into fruition, her eyes snapping open, greeting her to a dark classroom, desks turned over, chairs were strewn across the floor.

And there were two shapes in front of her, clawing at her hair, grasping for her. They were moaning, groaning, snarling. She could see Kevin's sweater vest and Jughead's jacket still clinging onto decomposing flesh. Archie was leaping forwards, and in flashes, as she opened and shut her eyes, he was diving at the monsters with his shovel. Veronica following in his wake, a carving knife in her shaking hands as she stalked towards them.

"Betty, close your eyes!" Archie yelled. "Cover your ears!" Betty did as she was told, but she still saw the metal edge of Archie's shovel slicing through what had been Kevin Keller's skull. She fell to her knees, blocking out the noises of Veronica's crying as she stabbed at the towering mound of dead flesh swaying in front of her.

 _Not real._ Betty imagined Jughead. She forced his image into her mind. His eyes, his smile, his laugh. She thought of Archie; not this Archie. Old Archie. Jock Archie. Jughead's best friend, laughing with him. Kevin. Kevin Keller and Veronica Lodge, all happy, all smiling, all alive. There were no tears, no pain, no suffering, no-

"Betty?" Jughead's voice seeped into her ears, and she let out a soft breath and opened her eyes once again. The boy was kneeling in front of her. The classroom was lit up once again, almost looking like heavenly light. Veronica and Archie were leaning over his shoulder. They were clean again; no longer pale and gaunt. They were happy. Betty peered up at Jughead, but she didn't say anything. If she did, then he might disappear. So she let him pull her into a hug so tight she couldn't breathe.

"Betty!" There were screams in the back of her head. But she wasn't listening. There was only Jughead holding her. She didn't cry. Didn't move.

 ** _This_** , she thought. **This was real.**

Betty felt something sharp pinch into her neck, then her cheek, then her stomach. But Veronica's laughter was echoing in her head, in symphony with Archie and Kevin.

 _"Get off her!"_ Veronica's screech, at the corner of her mind.

Betty Cooper was happy. She didn't need to go back to the other world- the bad things. She could stay here. With Jughead- forever.

_"Betty, stay with me!"_

_"Come on, Betty! Please! Don't- don't leave me!"_  

_"Betty!"_

_"Betty!"_

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> im still sorry. 
> 
> tell me what you think! Leave kudos if you liked :)


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